Views of a Freethinker

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Pray Yourself to Riches

Years ago we used to get a televangelist named Robert Tilton on our cable.Â You may have heard of him.Â His technique followed the same format every day.Â “Brenda, tell meÂ your story.”

She was down to her last $5 and saw Robert on TV. She sent the $5 to Robert and the phone rang. It was a job offer (or, a rich Anut died and left her money, etc.).Â Tilton would lean toward the camera.Â “Things can get better for you. Send your check to me at this address.”Â Tilton got in lots of trouble, but today is doing well and livingÂ in aÂ million dollar home.

His success broughtÂ many clones.Â The clone that most surprised me is Pat Robertson.Â I don’t recall himÂ doingÂ “prosperity evangelism”Â untilÂ the last few Â years.Â Now there is a Robert Tilton like story on his 700 Club a few times a week.Â It’s the same thing, “Things were tough, but I decided to increase the money I was sending to Pat.Â My business took off right after that.”

The good thing is that this kind of monkey business makes up only a smallÂ part of that broad “institution” called Christianity.Â Kudos to every church and pastor who could do this stuff and does not.

Freethinkers probably are not all good people either. I don’t know any bad ones, but I’m sureÂ there are some.Â The thing is that even the bad ones cannot practice “prosperity evangelism”.Â There is no devine figure or big personality to deliver the prosperity.Â If you are a Freethinker and times are tough, we can’t do a thing for you.